Raised a Ranger
by LupusSorani
Summary: 18 years after the end of book 8, Isabel, Will's daughter is about to be apprenticed. She is mischievous, a troublemaker, and loves showing up battle school apprentices.
1. Chapter 1

**My first fanfic, I had a time trying to figure out how to post it though. Hope you like Isabel, I was just sitting around one day and the idea to write about Will's daughter just popped into my head. There are some spoilers as far as relationships go if you haven't read through book 6.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ranger's Apprentice  
**

CHAPTER 1

I slink quiet as a shadow through the woods near Castle Redmont. My longbow is in my hand and my knives are belted to my waist. I know these woods like the back of my hand. I have called them home for over fifteen years, my whole life. I move from shadow to shadow until I am at the edge of the trees. My destination reached, I sling my bow over my shoulder silently, the movement completely hidden by the shadows of the woods. It took me a fifty minute ride on Tug and ten minutes of traipsing through the woods to get here.

I pear my head around the tree cautiously although I know I have been silent and invisible. The sight I see, as I look out from the tree, is exactly the one I wanted to. The muscular battle school apprentices are hard at work with swordplay. Their muscles bulge beneath their training uniforms, now drenched in sweat. What can I say? I'm a teenage girl!

Just as I've settled down to watch the show, a hand comes down on my shoulder and spins me around. I am so surprised. Not many people in the Redmont fief could sneak up on me, or rival my unheard movement. I am spun around to face the terrifying face of my father. He raises an eyebrow in a way that is so much like Halt. I give a sheepish smile. I know I'm not really in _that _much trouble because his eyes, that express everything, haven't turned as hard as I know them to get. I also know I was supposed to stay out of trouble. Oh well, must have slipped my mind.

"Hi, Daddy." I try to sound delighted to see him and not guilty of spying on a bunch of good looking battle school apprentices.

"You didn't think I would notice my horse was missing when I woke up?" He asks, a slightly amused expression on his face.

"Sorry, Dad," I begin, "I didn't think you and mum would wake up soon, so I thought I'd go out for a while. I know I'm supposed to keep out of trouble, especially after the fiasco in the kitchen with Mr. Chubb bu-"

He smiles at me, "You know the one slightly to the left with the blonde hair? you might have a chance with." His eyes are laughing and I know everything is okay. "Do me a favor and stay away from boys till you're out of my house, will ya?"

He seems half serious, then continues, "I have a meeting with Sir Rodney, looks like you'll have to come." He says, pretending that I see that as a punishment and not like a thrilling treat.

"Fine." I say, pretending to sound totally bummed. He ruffles my hair, which is a shade darker blonde than my mother's.

"Daaad!"

When we step out of the woods the apprentices and instructors in the field all seem pretty surprised, some even drop their swords. My dad swings his arm over my shoulder-which is kind of awkward since I am a couple inches taller than him. He seems to be staring down any of the boys who dare to even look at me. His cowl, which is usually drawn up in public, seems to be thrown back just for this reason. I try not to act embarrassed by this.

While we search for Sir Rodney, a voice calls out, "Hey, Uncle Will! What're you doing here?" A boy in the colors of a second year apprentice runs up to us, his gold hair catches the light. The apprentice is by no means unattractive and is almost the spitting image of his father, when he was that age.

"Hey, Squirt." Dad greets the newcomer in that hug-back slap thing that men do.

"You can hardly call me Squirt. I'm a full head taller than you!" the second year says.

"Spose you're right, Gavin. Do you know where Sir Rodney is?" Dad askes.

"Ya, he's in his office. I'll take you there." Gavin says, and then he greets me as if just noticing me for the first time, "Oh hey, Izzy." I acknowledge his greeting and give one of my own. Then he leads the way to Sir Rodney's office.

Gavin and I don't dislike each other. We just aren't great friends. Our parents are really the only reason we hang out together. It doesn't really make sense for him to be here. He already outranks the senior knights here, but his father, Horace, insisted on him coming to battle school in Redmont Fief. He wanted his son to learn to work hard, even if he was the heir to the thrown.

After a bit of walking we enter one of the dormitories and come to the door of what seems to be Sir Rodney's office. Gavin goes in to tell Sir Rodney we are here. Sir Rodney and Gavin emerge from the office a minute later. Sir Rodney greets us, then gets right down to business.

"Will, would you mind if we send Isabelle with Gavin on a tour of the campus?" In other words he means the meeting isn't for kids and he wants to get rid of me. I look at my dad trying to appeal to him. He ignores me. He's got his business face on, which means he isn't my father right now, he's Ranger Will Treaty.

"That would be fine. Is that okay with you, Gavin?" Father asks.

"Ya, I don't mind, might be fun." He gets cuffed over the head.

"That's 'Ya, Sir' to you, Squirt." Dad jokes, "Try to behave, Iz." Then he turn's and enters the office with Sir Rodney.

**Please Read and Respond I would really appreciate the feedback. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, thanks for the comments, I really appreciate it! I think I finally have this posting thing down. Hoped you all liked Isabelle. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ranger's Apprentice (I wonder if I could buy it with the $5, the paperclip, and the lint in my pocket?)  
**

CHAPTER 2

As the office door closes, Gavin turns to me and says, "I'm going to go practice hand to hand combat with some of the guys if you want to watch." He asks it like I should feel privileged to watch.

I snort, "I can do more than watch!" I say confidently.

"You don't think you're going to practice with us, do you?" he raises an eyebrow.

"Why? Are you afraid I'll beat you?" I ask challengingly.

"Don't blame me if you get hurt." He says, and starts to lead the way to where he and his friend had decided to practice.

* * *

We reach the patch of dirt where there are about five boys in an assortment of first and second year colors.

"This one," he points at me rather indignantly, "wants to practice with us. She thinks she can beat us." They all seem to find that hilarious, and snort with laughter.

"No weapons, right?" I ask as I take my bow off my back then unbuckle the knives at my belt, drawing to their attention for the first time to my weapons. They all know these are Ranger's weapons, but they notice I am too young to be one, so they all just think I'm bluffing. They think I probably have no idea how to use them.

"Who wants to get their butt kicked first?" I ask.

A boy a little shorter than Gavin steps forward, he has mouse brown hair, not very intelligent looking eyes, and is wearing first year colors. We shake hands as is custom. We step back from each other and when we are signaled to start, we start to circle each other. I wait for him to make the first move; I can see in his eyes he will. I can tell the guys Gavin hangs out with aren't hesitant to hit a girl, if only to show that men are superior in fighting and women have no place as warriors. He lunges towards me quite ungracefully with a right hook. I sidestep left and he goes tumbling after his fist in an undignified manner. As he falls past me I crack the heel of my boot over the back of his head. He gives a groan, but I know he won't give up that easily. He lunges towards me again, and I see he isn't well balanced over his feet. I sidestep but this time as he goes by he doesn't topple after his fist; he manages to stay on his feet, but not for long. My leg shoots out and sweeps his legs out from under him, he lands on his back. I step quickly over to his head before he can get up and lightly rest the heel of my boot on his throat. He looks alarmed to be caught in this position, then quite embarrassed that he is caught in this position by a _girl_.

"Do you yield?" I ask. He nods his head vigorously. I let him up and his hand shoots to his neck, as he quickly walks away from me.

To avenge his friend, the other first year apprentice challenges me, and that fight goes much the same. After defeating two apprentices _and _being a girl, our little group has started to draw a crowd.

I know that now I will have to spar with one of the second years of the group. The first two were so easy because they were new and had little instruction. Second years will be a different story.

A tall, heavily muscled second year apprentice steps up, I take note that as he walks towards me, that he seems to balance his weight well. We shake hands and he takes an appropriate fighting stance, which distributes his weight evenly and makes it harder for me to knock him down. At the signal to start, he doesn't circle or make the first move; he waits for me to come to him. When I am within striking distance I swing my right leg in a graceful roundhouse kick, I don't put a lot of force behind it. I know he's going to catch it. He does what I was counting on, he grabs my ankle and holds it where he caught it above his shoulder. Before he can make a move and is expecting a fist or a struggle from the leg he is holding, I push off my other foot as hard as I can, whip my leg around in a flash and kick him in the face. He falls backwards from the surprise and the force of the kick, and lets go of my leg. Even I was surprised I could move _that _quickly. I land next to his head, so I use the same move to keep him down as I did in my first spar, but with a small variation, I've planted my other foot firmly on his chest.

"Do you yield?" I ask.

"Never!" he yells and he tries to grab one of my legs. I figured he'd look for a way out and not just be intimidated into giving up. As his hand is about to close on my leg I jump, pushing off his chest. I try to curb the force I land on him with, so as not to break any ribs. When I land I am sure I haven't broken any ribs, but have probably bruised the bone some. He's badly winded and gasping for breathe as he backs away and yields. The other apprentice in the original group is too afraid to even try, so Gavin, himself, steps forward.

After the start signal he rushes forward, with a series of quick well aimed punches and kicks, but his speed is no match for mine and I easily evade them. I retaliate with a series of my own, but something goes wrong. Gavin does the unthinkable and opens up his defense to land a hard kick on my side. The force behind it sends me tumbling a few feet away. He starts to walk towards my gasping form sprawled across the dirt. My side is in agony. He puts a foot on my chest, pressing me into the ground.

"Do you yield?" he asks me the question I had asked my three former opponents.

"Gavin! What are you doing?" a frantic voice yells. It draws Gavin's attention away from me to the figure pushing through the crowd.

I take the opportunity to slip out from under his foot. His face just assumes a look of surprise before goes down. My leg has shot out, sweeping his legs from underneath him. I just place the heel of my boot on his throat when-

"Isabelle Treaty! What are you _doing_?" My fathers voice booms behind me. I look over his shoulder, Sir Rodney is behind him and a young apprentice stands next to him where he had pushed through the crowd. I'm guessing, he is the one who called to Gavin.

**Please Read and Review! I would really appreciate it!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry, I haven't posted sooner. School just started backup and there was no delay in piling on the homework. I know this chapter is short, forgive me. I will try to post soon. I'm gonna try to post at least once a week from now on unless i have a ton of tests or a project due or something. Thanks again for the great feedback! K, I hope you enjoy.  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it  
**

CHAPTER 3

Gavin, my father, Sir Rodney, the apprentice, and I are now all sitting in Sir Rodney's office around a mahogany desk lavishly carved with weaving vines.

"What was going on there?" Sir Rodney asks in a stern voice that allows for no excuses. I answer, Gavin is too busy looking greatly ashamed to be defeated by me, then caught by his master, "We were just sparring. It was all just for a bit of fun."

"Really?" his voice dripping with sarcasm, "It didn't look like it was all in fun. Your bruises also suggest otherwise." The right side of my torso is starting to turn black and blue and Gavin is staring to get a black eye from one of the punches I'd landed, but I was pretty sure I'd done more emotional damage.

"We were just sparring; I guess we got out of hand." I reply.

"I think your father will deal with you. Will, Gavin and I need to talk. Can we continue our discussion sometime tomorrow?"

Dad leads me out, as we head to the woods we attract many stares. On the way back to the cabin, he doesn't even look at me.

* * *

When we're nearly at the cabin, I break the silence. "Who was the other boy in the office? The one that called to Gavin while we were fighting?"

Dad answers rather grudgingly, "Luke, he's in the same year as Gavin. They're good friends, balance each other out. He keeps Gavin in line. Good kid." We drop back into silence.

When we reach the cabin and Dad reports to Mum about the events of the day, she doesn't comment but to say that he has to be responsible for the punishment. Before she turned away I thought I saw a mischievous glint in her gray eyes, which are the same color as mine. She probably thinks it's good that I showed those apprentices' women are strong too. Dad makes me do all the chores around the house for the rest of the day. After it's dark, I get ready for bed and go to my room, which was added onto the side of the cabin when I was born so there would be room for me as well as Dad's apprentice, who long since graduated. As I settle into my bed, Dad walks in and says, "I think you're going to be spending the night up the tree in front of the house." He says and grins, remembering a time Halt gave him the same punishment. I groan, but obey. I know I disappointed him today. I broke an apprentice's nose and bruised his ribs, hurt the confidence of two others, and gave the prince a black eye.

After climbing up the tree and settling down in the fork made by two branches, I start singing loudly.

_Graybeard Halt he lives with goats, _

_that's what I've heard tell. _

_He hasn' t changed his socks for years, _

_but the goats don' t mind the smell. _

_Fare thee well, Graybeard Halt,_

_fare the well I say... _

That's how it continues for most of the night. If he wants to reminisce in old memories, I'll help him out.

**Cool emoticon! **

**O-/-]: **

**It's a skateboarder. I just learned this one! If you don't get it look sideways.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry, I know I haven't posted in a while, TO MUCH HOMEWORK! For all those inquiring to Halt's whereabouts, here he is!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it  
**

CHAPTER 4

As I watch the sun peak over the horizon, a yawn escapes from between my lips. I slide down the tree, ready to try and get some shut eye before I have to help around the house.

When I reach the cabin stairs, hoof beets echo through my hazy thoughts. I turn as the sound registers. Halt comes into view followed by another ranger with his cowl up. Halt's hair is now totally gray and his age is also starting to show. He's so old I've lost track.

Halt reins his horse in near the steps and swings down, then he lets his horse's reins fall. As the chestnut horse he was riding starts to wander away, a pained, sorrowful expression comes over Halt's features. He grabs the reins and ties them on the fence of the corral, where Tug and my mom's horse are grazing. The other ranger follows, but instead of tying his horse, he just drops the reins.

Halt's expression reminds me about Abelard. I adored that horse as a small child; he was always so tolerant and kind. I always wished to have a horse like him. Everyone was devastated when about 10 years ago Halt, on a journey home from visiting Gilan, was ambushed by bandits. Halt tried to fight them off, but their numbers were too large. As Halt started to be overwhelmed, Abelard charged the bandits and helped fight them off. After the fight Abelard collapsed. He had sustained too many injuries and was bleeding out onto the road. Three days later, a very depressed, weak, scrawny Halt was recovered from the road, where he had passed out from dehydration. He was found lying on Abelard, who was given a proper burial in a clearing in the woods, where he had liked to graze and doze, in the summer months. Halt has admitted to me that he believes the bandits were hired to kill him by one of the many enemies he had made over the years.

"Isabel! Come help an old man unsaddle his horse." Halt calls to me. I comply and after the Ranger's horses are taken care of, I invite them inside.

As they sit down in the living room, I go into my parents' bedroom. I walk over the threshold to my father's side of the bed. I gently tap his shoulder, but he doesn't wake up. I try to shake his shoulder, but all he does is groan and roll over. I finally just take the vase of wild flowers on the window sill, I don't pour the water all in on rush, I pour it in a small steady stream. He sits up quickly and grabs the vase out of my hand.

"I'm all wet! Izzy! I just got to bed a while ago, do you mind!" He yells and gives me a murderous look.

"Halt and another Ranger are waiting in the living room. They want to speak with you. Did my singing keep you up?" I give a fake gasp, like I care, "Oh, I'm so sorry." I turn to leave, out of the corner of my eye I see my mom waking up.

A few minutes later Mum and Dad walk into the living room fully clothed and ready for the day. While had waited, Halt and I had talked, but the other Ranger had remained quiet. It kind of gave my the heebie-jeebies, but after awhile, I just decided he was going to be all stiff and Ranger-like, and I started to wonder if he was actually sleeping.

"I see you're finally up, Will. About time. Sounds like you had a nice wakeup call. What with all that yelling, I thought you might be having a party." Halt greets Will. Then greats my mother, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, "Morning to you to, Alyss." I had wondered if they had heard Dad in the small cabin.

Dad sits down, his face turning red. "So, what brings you two to my cabin today? And who is under the hood?" The other Ranger quickly throws back his cowl. It takes me a moment, as surprise strikes me. I take in the long, black plated hair and the dark eyes that are almost black. Then it hits me, this Ranger is a _woman_! One of only two in the corps.

"Sorry, how rude of me, I am just so used to my hood." The women says in a very pleasant voice. She looks to be stunningly beautiful and in her late twenties.

"Good to see you again, Akeline. I didn't see you at the gathering this year." Dad greets her.

Akeline, so this was Gilan's apprentice. She's my idol, although I've never met her. I hear about her all the time, she is on the Ranger Corps Special Task Group. My dad used to be part of it with Halt and Horace, but he retired and went back to being a normal Ranger after Mum got pregnant with me. He wanted to be around more, and so he got stationed at Redmont. It is my dream to become a Ranger and to be part of the Special Task Group. Gilan, Akeline, and Xavior, a knight, now make up the team.

**Hope you enjoyed**

**kul emoticons**

**=-O**

**uh, oh  
**

**:-E**

**vampire  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**I recently finished the new RA book, Halt's Peril. It was amazing! I won't spoil it by saying anymore. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ranger's Apprentice**

CHAPTER 5

"We had to renew the treaty with the Skandians and check on our archers." Akeline explained, "but that's not why we came here...Halt?"

"If I wasn't retired I would have volunteered, well, actually I tried to...but Pauline said-Never mind that. Isabel we, that is the Ranger Corps..." Halt seems to be actually flustered by whatever he's trying to say.

Akeline puts a hand on Halt's shoulder, he looks at her, then she takes over, "Isabel Treaty, you could be a great Ranger." The words I've been waiting my whole life to hear. "You have all the skills, curiosity, and abilities. The Corp is offering you an apprenticeship."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. This is actually happening. This is what I've been waiting for.. "I accept! Who's my mentor?"

"Wait! Hold on. I don't want this for her!" Dad interrupts. "Halt, why didn't you talk to me beforehand?" It's not often I've heard Dad use this tone of voice with Halt.

"Will, can we talk in the kitchen?" Mum says in her diplomatic way.

"No, Alyss." My dad says, a tone of finality in his voice, "She will _not_ be part of the Corps."

"Dad!"

"NO! It's to dangerous! No, no! NO! And that's final!" Dad looks distressed. I always thought he wanted me to be a Ranger. He's like a kid throwing a fit.

"You're-you're such a, ah...hypocrite! So you can be in the Corps and I can't. UUUhhh! That's so unfair!" God! This is what I've worked for my whole life, he will not stand in the way of that. All theses years I thought I would make him proud and become a Ranger. I stand up. I'm so angry I rush out the door and into the woods.

I run and run, sides heaving. I stop and lean against a tree, tears stream down my face. How dare he, try to ruin _my_ dreams? All I ever tried to do was make him proud!

Out of habit on my way out the door, I had slung my quiver and bow over my shoulder. My knives were still in my room, except for the one I keep in a sheath concealed in my boot.

I decide to work off some anger, so I string my longbow. I align my body with a fallen tree; its bark looks soft and rotting. I draw back the string, using the muscles of my back. The string runs from the middle of my nose to the side of my mouth. I take aim and I fire. All of this was done in a matter of seconds, fast but not as fast as a full fledged Ranger.

I shoot the other twenty-three in quick succession after that. I walk over to the fallen tree and inspect my group. My arrows are all within a six inch radius of each other. Not my best but still good considering tears blur my vision and threaten to spill down my face. I pull the arrows out of the soft wood and replace them in my quiver. I shoot a few more ends before my rage subsides.

When the tears leave my vision and I can see clearly, I take a look at my surroundings. I am near what used to be old Bob's small shack and stable. Old Bob passed away a few years ago and his apprentice Tim took over.

I decide to go over and see if he is training any new Ranger horses. I love helping Tim with the horses.

I start trekking through the woods, and a couple minutes later I am at the edge of Tim's clearing. Two shaggy looking horses stand in the small paddock in the middle of the clearing. One is surprisingly large for a Ranger horse. The other isn't much bigger than a pony, but it is still on the taller side for a Ranger horse. The taller horse is a dark bay. The littler one is ebony with a small streak of white down its side.

I spot Tim in the rundown little stable, and I break out of the trees and approach him.

"Hey, Tim!" I call to him as I reach the stable.  
He turns from his work, polishing a saddle, and has a startled look on his face. He has mouse brown hair and a lanky build. He's fairly young, only about 30.

"You're not supposed to be here." He says nervously with a small smile.

"Whose horses are in the paddock?" I ask him.

"Nobody's!" He answers too quickly; one of the horses had to belong to a Ranger.

"Ooookay. I'm gonna go give them both treats." I say, and head toward the paddock.

The two horses trot over as they see me approaching the bin of treats just outside the paddock. They nicker at me, their intelligent eyes telling me to hurry up. I grab two apples out of the bin, walk over to the fence and hold a hand out to either horse. They both quickly devour the apples in my extended palms.

The black horse reaches his head over and nudges me with his nose.

_More, please. _He seems to say.

"Nope, sorry. Can't have you guys getting too fat now."

The little black horse gives me the closest thing to puppy dog eyes a horse can. It is so cute and funny I laugh.

He shakes his mane indignantly, _It wasn't that funny._ Then he turns his butt towards me and trots away. I laugh again at how he seemed to be actually communicating with me.

I watch the little black horse, wishing that my Ranger horse could be like this spirited pony. Then I remember that Dad doesn't want me to become a Ranger. A lump starts to form in my throat again.

"I wish you were my horse. We would make a great team." I whisper to the small horses rear end.

He flicks his tail as if responding to me.

I stand there watching the two horses graze in the paddock for a few silent minutes. Then I head back over to the barn to sat goodbye to Tim. I find Tim still working on cleaning the tack.

"Tim, I think I'm gonna head out." I say.

He is startled by my sudden appearance, nearly knocking the saddle he was cleaning onto the floor of the barn.

"You Ranger's are uncanny." he says. Then, "Leaving so soon?"

"Ya, I'm kind of trying to avoid my Dad and he's bound to check around here soon." I reply, trying to keep an upbeat expression on my face.

"Well then, I guess you better get going."

I turn to leave, but before I go I have to know. I turn back and ask, "What's the black horse's name?"

The question seems to make Tim a little nervous, and I wonder why.

"Um... Shadow." He says.

"Thanks." I reply and then turn on my heel and jog silently back into the woods.

I'm exhausted by the time I reach the walls of the castle. The sun has set. I watch the guards from my concealed hiding spot on the edge of the woods. When the guard near me walks off a bit I start to move across the open ground between the woods and the castle.

When I'm halfway between the woods and the wall, the guard turns back. I freeze. His eyes dart across the lawn. They glide right over me as if I'm not even there. He turns back and keeps walking.

I dart from shadow to shadow until I am at the base of the wall. I map out my handholds, though I've climbed the wall a million times. Then I start swarm up the wall.

A few minutes later I have snuck into Castle Redmont with no trouble from the guards. I slink around the confusing corridors silently, avoiding any people I see, until I reach the door of the fifteen year old wards, who are due to be apprenticed any day now.

I push the door open, it barely makes a sound. I slip in the room and close it quietly behind me. In the room sit five kids my age all chatting with each other and looking rather nervous.

"Hey, guys." I say. They all jump, none of them having noticed my arrival.

"How do you sneak up on us like that?" says a boy with mouse brown hair.

"Nice to see you too, Ted." I say. "You all look rather nervous. What's going on?"

"Choosing Day's tomorrow!" a pretty, blonde girl named Amy says.

I had forgotten, I can't believe I forgot. "Where's Fabian?" He is the only one of the group missing.

"Oh, he's in his room already." Ted replies.

"Thanks, I'm gonna go talk to him, if you guys don't mind."

"Sure, sure, go ahead."

I walk over to a door on the far side of the room. It leads to the boys' sleeping quarters. They all share one room. I enter just as quietly as I did through the first door.

"Hey, Izzy." says a figure stretched out on one of the beds.

"Dang!" No matter how quiet I am, he always knows I'm there. I've been trying to sneak up on him for as long as I can remember, but it never works.

The corner of his mouth lifts into a halfhearted smile, not his usual grin, that makes you feel like smiling too.

"Fabian, don't be nervous, there is no way they won't accept you into battle school, especially with the moves_ I_ taught you." I try to be funny, but he still looks really nervous, which makes me feel nervous, because he is never nervous, he is always my rock, always dependable and good-humored.

I walk over to his bed and sit on the edge, we sit in silence for a few minutes. Then Fabian pulls himself into a sitting position. "What if they think I'm too scrawny or they think I'm not strong enough?" His blue eyes look scared.

I try not to laugh, because I know he really is scared about these things, but he is no where near weak or scrawny. He is tall and heavily muscled, and is already much better at hand-to-hand combat then some of the first-year battle school apprentices. I know from experience.

"Listen, I fought some of the first-years in hand-to-hand combat yesterday, and let me say, you are much better then any of them."

He runs a finger through his black hair and asks, rather baffled, "Why were you fighting battle school apprentices?"

"Gavin and his buddies were practicing, so I decided to join in."

His face suddenly becomes very concerned, "Are you okay, Izzy?"

"Glad to see you have confidence in my abilities."

"Izzy, did they hurt you?" He asks again.

"I hurt them more, I just got a bruise on my side." I say with a yawn.

"Imagine what people would think if that got around," he says, "Future King Bruises Young Girl"

I give him a playful slap on the arm, "I'm not that young, I'll be apprenticed any day now." I can feel my eyelids starting to flutter closed.

"Geez, you look tired." That's the last thing I remember before I succumbed to my exhaustion and floated into peaceful sleep.

**I hope to post soon, I am currently in the middle of the next chapter.**

**Funny Quote, sounds like something Isabel would say:  
**

"I just broke up with someone and the last thing he said to me was "You'll never find anyone like me again!" I'm thinking, "I should hope not! If I don't want you, why would I want someone like you.""

**-Anonymous **


	6. Chapter 6

**WOW! I haven't published in a long time! I blame midterms for not having time to write...and maybe a few good books. I will soon be publishing a chapter in which Gilan appears. He may be kinda OOC.  
**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill-I don't own RA  
**

CHAPTER 6

A door bangs open. My eyes snap open, I look around momentarily confused, I was not in my small room in the cabin. Then I remember that I had fallen asleep at the Ward. Fabian must have moved me into an extra cot in the girls' room after I fell asleep.

"Where is she?" I hear a familiar voice coming from the main room, yelling in a frantic tone.

"Dammit." I whisper to myself.

It is still dark out. The other girls have started to grumble and look around wearily. I quickly pull the covers down, and head for the door leading to the main room. I open the door as silently as possible.

I peer around the edge of the door. My father is walking toward the door of the boys' room. I hope he thinks it's the girls' room, and isn't just assuming I'd be in the boys' room.

"Dad." I say making my presence known.

Dad swings around, looking furious and scared, his face quickly melting into a relieved smile. He quickly glides across the room to gather me into a bear hug. He may be small, but when he squeezed me I thought my ribs would break.

"Don't scare me like that again." He says, releasing me from his bear hug and holding me out at arms length. "Come on. Let's get you home so your mother will stop worrying." Dad tugs at my arm, trying to lead me to the door.

I resist. "Dad." I start, "All my life all I've ever wanted to be is a Ranger. It's what I've devoted my life to. If I go home with you and you have your way I will never be able to do that."

"Now is not the time or place for this." Dad says, his voice stern.

"Isabel, who is this?" Fabian's voice comes from behind my dad.

OK, well this is a funny story. I've known Fabian for nearly six years, but I never told him who my family was. I didn't want to scare him off because I was a Ranger. I didn't tell my parents either.

I met Fabian when I snuck into Castle Redmont the first time. I had just learned some unseen movement techniques. I wasn't very good and it's a miracle I even got into the Castle without being arrested. Maybe the guards saw me and knew who I was. At that age I already had a reputation for mischief.

I had just climbed the wall (a lot less gracefully than I would today) and into the branches of a tall fig tree. As I climbed to the lower branches, I miscalculated and moved all my weight to a branch that broke under the strain. I found myself tumbling the remaining distance to the ground. Luckily, since I was never the best climber, I knew how to fall, so I was mostly unscathed. When I stood up and looked around, I saw a boy sitting at the base of the tree, book in his lap, looking at me like 'OMG! That girl just fell out of the sky.'

And here we are six years later...

"Fabian. Dad. Dad. Fabian."

"Your dad's a Ranger!"

"Yup."

"The Ranger of Redmont Fief? Will Treaty?"

"Yup."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Yu-I mean, I didn't want you to freak out and treat me like some black witch like everyone else does when they find out."

"Izzie..." he says, his expression is pained. Then it becomes hard. "You should go. It was good to meet you, Ranger Treaty."

"Fabian...don't." I reply, but he just looks at me eyes full of pain from my betrayal and retreats back into his room.

When the door is closed, I follow my dad out of the wards' room and out of Castle Redmont.

When we are both seated upon horses and headed back to the cabin in the woods, a thought occurs to me.

"How did you know I would be with the wards?" I ask grudgingly.

Ignoring my tone, he replies, "You aren't nearly as sneaky as you think you are...Then again most kids aren't. I've known since you guys met. I figured since, you spend so much time there, time you claim to be training during, I thought I might find you there. And, give me some credit, I am a Ranger, and you left quite the path blundering through the woods like a three-legged horse. You're lucky it was dark or I would have been only minutes behind you." He concludes with a chuckle.

"Oh, and I think you will make a great Ranger." He whispers so quickly it is nearly unintelligible.

"Your gonna let me be a Ranger?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes, your mother and I talked-"

"OH! THANK YOU! Thank You!" I nearly bounce off of the horse in my excitement.

"Your not bad with a bow, but you knife throwing is wretched." Akeline comments, as my third practice knife in a row hits the target handle first.

Frustrated, I respond, "That's because I don't like _throwing_ knives. I like knife knife _fighting_."

"Knife fighting isn't really one of the required Ranger skills. How did you come to learn it? I know your father didn't teach you. He's nearly as lousy with knives as you." Akeline remarks.

"Hey! I'm quite good at knife fighting! Though my best skill is hand-to-hand."

"So I've heard. Gets you into a fair amount of trouble. Maybe you should practice with someone more experienced than _apprentices._" She spits the word out like filth. "You should see how well you stand up to someone with _actual experience_."

I wonder if she's insulting me just to get a rise out of me or to get me angry. Maybe she thinks I would do best acting on pure instinct, or just wants to get a feel for my gut reactions. Is this part of the evaluation? No matter.

"You wanna go now. I'm sure I could beat you with my hands tied." I retort.

"A beating could do you some good. While you are my apprentice, maybe I will be able to teach you correct grammar and how to respect your elders."

I'm exhausted and sore after my 'evaluation'. Akeline had said she wanted to judge where I'm really at and if I'm really as advanced as is rumored. She also wanted to locate my weak points, so she would know what to focus on.

We, that is, Akeline and I, are now sitting in the living room of the cabin drinking coffee with nearly an equal amount of honey in it (A tradition among all of Halt's apprentices, Halt's apprentices' apprentices, and so on.)

"Training with me will be slightly different from training with other Rangers. We will be out in the field more and most of your training will happen around temporary campfires after a long day of travel. Therefore, most of your training will be from experience. I assume that this will be all right with you since at least...a year and a half of your training has been covered." Akeline says.

"A year and a half! A year and a half! I've been in training my whole life and you think it accounts for A YEAR AND A HALF!"

"At least." she adds. I can't tell if that was a joke because her face did not give way to any signs of humor.

I cool down a bit.

She continues, "If you are quite done with your outburst, I wish to fill you in on our itinerary. We will be meeting up with the rest of the task force in roughly two weeks. In that time we will be training intensively and getting you attuned to your horse since-"

"My horse! I get a horse! I can't wait to meet him!" I interrupt.

"Do _not_ interrupt me..._ever_." She says, her voice has a dangerous edge to it. "As I was saying. You and your horse's bond will be very important. In the task group we will spend the majority of our time traveling." She pauses. I refrain from interrupting, making sure she's done speaking.

I wait.

Nothing.

I open my mouth to speak.

Still nothing.

"Uummm...Excuse me, but when do I get to meet my horse? What's his name?"

Akeline has an amused glint in her eyes. "I think you have already met him...his name is Shadow."

**Hope you enjoyed. Love your feedback. Happy New Year!**


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